Portfolio Requirements

All prospective new students, including external transfers, wishing to pursue a B.A. in Studio Art or B.A. in Studio Art/Art Education must submit a portfolio for entrance into the program. Your admissions application is not considered complete until your portfolio has been reviewed. The portfolio review has no bearing on Admission's decision as they have their own criteria for acceptance to the university and the review only determines if the applicant is eligible or not to be a Studio Art or Studio Art/Art Education major.

Incoming first-year and transfer applicants wishing to enter the bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.) degree program must first apply for, and be admitted to, the B.A. Studio Art major.  Students may submit a more extensive portfolio to enter the BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) program after they begin their studies at UNH, as early as the spring semester of their first year. BFA portfolio reviews by the full faculty are held once each spring semester.

The department has scholarships for incoming full-time freshmen Studio Art and Studio Art/Art Ed majors based on their portfolio. All applicants are automatically considered.

Portfolio Review Deadlines

February 1 for incoming freshmen
November 15 for spring semester transfer students
April 1 for fall semester transfer students

Portfolio Requirements

The portfolio should reflect your strongest work; i.e. if painting is your strongest area, then paintings should be more than half of your portfolio.

  • Be selective
  • Show some personal work that reflects your artistic vision
  • Choose work from any or a few of the following disciplines: ceramics, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, woodworking

Submit 10 to 12 samples of your best work. At least four to five of the pieces must be drawings from direct observation even if your discipline is not in drawing.

In-person portfolio reviews have been suspended until further notice due to the Coronavirus.

To submit a portfolio online for review, please follow these instructions:

  1. Portfolio images should be sent as individual attachments in one email to: art-arthistory@unh.edu. Please do not put the images in the body of the email; please do not use Google Drive or zip files.
  2. Individual images should be no more than 1MB-2MB in .jpeg format; 10-12 images for a maximum total of 24MB in the email.
  3. The body of the email should include:

          a. your name and address (street, city, state, zip code) as written on your Common Application
          b. name of your high school (or college if a transfer student)
          c. how you heard about our department (guidance counselor, internet search, friend, art teacher, etc.)
          d. if you are applying for the B.A. Studio Art or B.A. Studio Art/Art Education program
          d. if you are applying for Early Action or Regular decision.

After the Faculty Review of your submitted portfolio, you will receive a letter informing you of the result of your portfolio review and a copy will be sent to Admissons.